Surface projectile game



J. w. KINNEY, JR

SURFACE PROJECTILE GAME Sept. 22, 1959 Filed April 28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a I I III/Ill HVVENTDR.

JOHN W.NNNE%JR Sept. 22, 1959 J. w. KINNEY, JR 2,905,471

SURFACE PROJECTILE GAME Filed April 28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

JOHN W. KINNEY,JR. BY

' 1 2,905,471 C6 Patented Sept. 22, 1959 SURFACE PROJECTILE GAME John W. Kinney, IL, Cincinnati, Ohio Application April as, 1955, Serial No. 504,542

4 Claims. (Cl. 273-108) This invention relates to a game, and to certain improved structural features of the game board upon which the game is played. 7

An object of the invention is to provide a game having novel characteristics which promote the interest and excitement of the players by eliminating entirely the element of skill and substituting therefor the element of pure chance.

A further object of the invention is to provide means in a game of chance for uniformly and accurately starting the playing pieces on a course of play, so that one contestant may not obtain an advantage over another, thereby adding to the interest and excitement of the game.

Another object of the invention is to so construct and arrange the constituent parts of a game, as to ensure great economy in manufacture and assembly, while at the same time preserving durability and the necessary pleasing appearance of the game.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the game board embodying v the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, slightly enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig 2, showing the starting end of the game board, with the starting gate retracted and the playing piece or tumbler released.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings, the character 7 indicates an inclined board or track having a head end 8 and a foot end 9, the head end being elevated by means of a suitable standard 10 to incline the board as shown. In playing the game, a series of playing pieces hereafter referred to as tumblers 13 are supported at the head end of the board in a manner suggested by Fig. 2, and are subsequently released by retracting a gate 12, which permits the tumblers to advance toward the foot end of the board. The tumblers in themselves are not new, and each may comprise an ovoid case or capsule containing a ball or weight 14 which may shift freely from one end of the capsule to the other, as the capsule is tilted or inclined in various directions. Usually the capsule contains a ball of relatively heavy solid metal.

As the tumblers are released at the head end of the board, they fall onto the inclined board and because of the inclination of the board the balls roll within the capsule from one end to the other, resulting in tip-ending the tumblers and causing them to move end over end down the incline provided by the table. As several tumblers are used in playing the game, their movements simulate a race.

At a point intermediate its ends, the board may be provided with certain hazards or stations, herein disclosed as apertures 15 in rows or groups extending to the foot end of the board. Each aperture or transverse row of apertures may be given a value for scoring purposes, it being understood that any tumbler may lodge within an aperture and be stopped thereby, or if a tumbler happens to pass between or over the apertures without falling in, it may eventually reach the goal indicated at 16 for a high score. The scoring values of the aper tures may increase progressively toward the goal 16.

The goal may comprise an inclined stop or wall as shown, provided with elongated apertures 17 within which the tumblers may repose without falling through, as shown at 16 in Fig. 2. The circular apertures 15 likewise are constricted in size, so that tumblers caught therein, as indicated at 181 of Fig. 2, will not fall through but will be held substantially upright therein. Thus, none of the tumblers or playing pieces are to leave the upper surface of the board during progress of the game. Moreover, the tumblers are confined to the travel area carrying the various apertures, by means of sloping side walls 18-18 which as indicated upon Fig. 4 may be constituted of scored and inwardly folded side extensions of the playing area 19. At 20 is indicated a foot board which may be suitably decorated, or furnished with scoring or playing instructions.

In order that all the tumblers may be released and started upon the game course in unison and with equal momentum and advantage, an improved form of starting structure is provided consisting of the starting gate 12 and a subjacent impeller member 21 including an inclinexl upper surface 22 exposed to the leading ends of all tumblers released by the gate. By referring to Fig. 2, it may be noted that the tumbler 13 awaiting release is supported in substantial upright position upon the retractible gate 12, while embraced loosely intermediate its ends within the oversize opening 23 of an elevated stabilizer plate 24 which overlies the gate. With the tumbler, or several of them, so supported Within the several openings 23, the game may be started by retracting the gate 12 to release position, Fig. 3, whereupon the tumbler will fall weighted end first, upon the inclined surface 22. of the impleller. In so striking the relatively severe incline of the impeller, the tumbler will be abruptly tilted with considerable force toward the foot end of the board or track, causing its ball or weight to shift suddenly toward the empty end of the capsule and in parellelism with the center-line of the board. This initial impulse has the effect of not only precluding wandering of the tumbler at the starting point, but in addition, sends it on an initial straight course down the incline of the board'to avert collision and interference with other tumblers simultaneously released. In this manner the game is enlivened because all tumblers ad: vance practically through not exactly in unison along the unperforated stretch above the scoring apertures, until upon reaching the latter, some exhibit greater ability than others in reaching the higher score stations.

In the absence of an impeller means such as above described, it frequently happens that no fair or close race precedes the scoring, because of a tendency of some tumblers to wander before starting down the inclined track. This, of course, disheartens certain players at the very start of the game, and interest is lost because no tumbler slowly started will usually develop sufficient speed to carry it into the high score area of the playing board. Numerous tests and comparisons of tumbler action have proven the superiority of the game with the impeller incorporated therein.

It should be noted that the inclination of the impeller member, at the point of contact where struck by the released tumbler, must be limited to a value such that the tumbler will be caused to overturn, rather than slide down the incline. The required degree of inclination at the point of contact will, of course, be dependent upon the surface finish of the impeller member and of the tumbler casing. If the impeller member is fabricated from paper or cardbord sheet which is not highly glazed or calender-ed, the inclination at the point of contact maybe considerable, affording the tumblers a fast start withoutliability' of slippage. The tumbler casings may be of metal, plastic, or other suitable material having frictional afli'nity for the material of the impeller member.

In the preferred form of the invention, the impeller member and the tumbler release gate. are built into a rectangular compartmented box 25 situated upon the board 7 near the head end 8- thereof. The box includes front and rear walls 26 and 27, respectively, spanned by the perforated stabilizer plate 24 which may be made integral therewith if desired. Beneath the perforations 23 of the stabilizer plate, the front of the box is open to permit egress of the tumblers, this opening being most clearly indicated at 28 upon Figs. 3 and 5. At opposite ends of the opening 28. the front wall of the box is provided with a pair of slots 29 and 30- which accommodate apair of forwardly extended coplanar tongues or guides 31 and 32 forming integral parts of the gate 12. As is best shown by Fig. 5, the gate consists of the tongues or guides 31-62 connected by the reduced neck portions 3333 with a middle coplanar tab 34 which may be shifted in a slot 35 formed in the rear wall 27. of the box. The tab 34 performs as a finger piece orhandle extending from the rear of the box, for actuating the gate in releasing the tumbler 13. It will be noted that the tab. is imperforate, and therefore serves the purpose of a gate supporting the tumblers as indicated by Fig. 2'. To release the. tumblers, it is necessary onlyto grasp the rear margin of the gate tab, which extends from the wall 27 of the box in Fig. 2, and shift it to the right until support for the tumblers is removed. When the tab of the gate is fully retracted, the tongues or guides 31-32 will assume the position of Fig. 3. The heels 3636 (Fig. 1-) of the tongues may be depended upon to simply and effectively limit retractile movement of the gate.

As previously mentioned herein, the tumbler impeller member 21 is located so as to be struck by the tumblers when released. It is necessary, therefore, that the impeller member be positioned directly beneath the gate, and in the preferred embodiment, located also within the confines of the box 25. So located, the impeller member is fully protected by the box structure against derangement and damage at all times.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that the game structure of the invention is simple and durable, and possesses features of construction andoperation which render it interesting and fascinating. It should be understood that various modifications and changes instructural details may be resorted to, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

I. A game of the characterdeseribed comprising an inclined board and a plurality of playing pieces, each in the form of an ovoid tumbler having an ovoid outer casing and a weighted mass therewithin freely shiftable between the opposite ends of the casing, said board having a playing surface, a foot end, and an elevated head end, scoring means adapted: to, arrest the tumblers near the foot end oftheboard, an impeller at the head end of the board, said impeller being in the form of an incline sl ping inth seuerald rec on, of: nclination of the playing board but ata greater degree of inclination, starting means at the head end of said board supporting said tumblers in substantia ly BBI ghL po i on and elevated above said impeller, said starting means including mechanism for simultaneously releasing said tumblers to fall and strike the relatively severe incline of said impeller to abruptly tilt said tumblers toward the foot end of the h board and cause said masses to shift suddenlytoward the empty ends of their casings and in parallelism with the center line of said board, whereby all the tumblers are initially projected in straight line fashion down the board and with their masses shifted therewithin.

2. The game as defined in claim 1 wherein said scoring means is in the form of a plurality of openings in said board near the foot end thereof and being of diameters to receive said tumblers.

' 3. The game as defined in claim 1 wherein said board is provided with a, flat'central portion within which said scoring means is located and being provided with sloping sides inclined downwardly and inwardly toward said flat central portion.

4. The game as defined in claim 1 wherein said board is'provided with a flat central portion within. which said scoring means located and being provided with sloping sides inclined downwardly and inwardly toward said flat central portion, said scoring means being in the. form of a plurality- 0f openings in said central portion of the board, being of diameters to receive said tumblers therewithiin.

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